Blower and air conduits for combines



Sept 23, 1952 H. J. sTEvl-:NsoN

BLOWER AND AIR CONDUITS FOR CQMBINES 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1` Filed Aug. 28, 1947 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 H. J. STEVENSON BLOWER AND AIR CONDUITS FOR COMBINES Sept. 23, 1952 Filed Aug'. 28, 1947 gether so that the outlet or delivery side of the blower I is common to both pipes 3, and in the latter adjacent the junction thereof, are pivoted valves 6,;for1 ein-` respect of and 4eacl 1.servinvg a pipe .c These valves 6 have on their spindles 1, arms 8 connected by rods 9 and ilB with a pendulum I0 freely suspended at IIiu on the machine, so" that swinging movement of the pendulum Illy is responsible for operation of the valves 6, whichy are set and coupled together and to the pendug lum I0, so that when one valve 6 is movedtof' close the entrance to one pipe 3, the other valve 6 is moved to open the entrance to theotherY pipe 3, provision being made by means-.of series of holes in the arms `3 and rod il to enable the valves 6 to be set in correct relationship, with blower I can not produce any blast, as the disc valve II covers the air admission port I2 to the blower housing, and under these conditions the seedssor igrain,travelon.to the ,riddles in a thm even-stream. Whenfonfaccount of the inclination or slope of the ground, the conditions are such that with an existing harvester, seeds 'or grain will slide or roll so as to pile up at the lowside of the riddles 5, travelling across the 1 0.v

riddles in a heap-possibly four inches highso that a proportion only of the seeds or grain would'be' extracted or riddled, the rest going on to the ground with the chair and other foreign matter, in a harvester provided with the improveeach other and with the rod 9 and pendulum to attain a desired result.

Thus, when the machine travels over an inclinedor sloping surface which causes the riddles 5 to tilt or incline sideways, as for instance inthe present case where the riddles 5 are disposed crossways of the machine, vif the latter travels up hill or down hill, the pendulum A I-U, by its natural tendency to remain vertical, is responsible forthe valves 6 being operated, so

vthat one valve 6 closes the entrance to one pipe 3, while the other valve vIi opens the entrance to the other pipe 3, the setting of the valves 6, and their couplings being such that the pipe 3 .servingthe lower side of the riddles 5 is always opened to the air blast from the blower I, while the pipe 3 which serves the upper side of the riddles 5fis cut off from the blower I, with the.

result that with the riddles 5 tilted orV inclined crossways, a blast of air is always delivered to -the lower side ofthe riddles 5 to counteract or prevent the tendency of the seeds or'grain to roll to and pile up at the lower side of the riddles 5,- and thereby ensure their even distribution over the latter, and efficient sieving or cleaning.

As however, the blower I maintains an unvarying output, means are provided for varying the force of the air blast according tothe angle of .slope of the ground over which the machine is at the time travelling, and for-ensuring that when there is no appreciable slope, there will be no air blast or blasts across the compartment4 in which` the riddles 5 are located, said meansf being as follows: a disc valverII,- slightly larger than the-air admission port I2 inV thewhousing of the blower I, is hung soas to beicapable of swinging across said port I2, andis :connected by a link I3 to a; pendulum I4 by which it is con- Y trolled in such. a manner that when Athe machine is on level ground the disc valve II will hang ,so as'to completely close the air admission port I2, thereby cutting off-or preventing the creation of the blast by starving the blower ofair.,vl` `The link I3 is preferably adjustable 'as to length,

'the amount'of air to be admitted, and the necessary adjustmentcan only be made asthe result .otexperilnents in the fleld',

xWhen the machineoperates on flat-ground, the

ling-riddles. f lAlsathis attachment can be -iltted toany type ments herein described, the tendency for this Ito happen is counteracted at least to a substantial fdegree byy the blower I coming into opera.- tion on the disc valve II so moving under the influence of the pendulum I4 to open the air admission port I2, while; the other pendulum I0 actuates Athe valves VIi at the .junction of the pipes 3.-,When this-happens the disc valve II is-open vto a degree consistent with the angle of slope (the greateiathe slope the greater is the degree of opening), andthe valves 6 direct the air blast .to whichever isthelower side .of the compartment 4. The air'blast entering the compartment v.4 disperses th e ;heaps of s eeds or grain justbelfore .they fall onto theriddles 5and blows said seeds or grain backacross the floor of thecompartment 4 Asc -that they come on to the riddles 54 substantially evenly across the whole width thereof, instead of .in a` thick heap. It is possible-by proper adjustment of -the air blast to `suit the weight ofthe seeds. or grain, to ensure that the seeds orfgralncome on to the riddles about as evenly as on flatground:4 r

While the means alreadyl described take care vof sidewaysv inclination of the riddles as it affects the distribution ofseeds-or grain thereon, itis alsonecessaryto providemeans to take care Iof the inclination of the riddles 5l through their length, as it aiects `the distribution of seeds or grain thereon, v and 'this-isaccomplished by providing for variation of the stream or blast of air from the main blower-fan I5 to the riddles 5,

according 4tofwhether -the seeds or grain require to be caused Itoftravel'up hill, down hill, or hori- ,vzontally-alongon the, riddles 5, and according to-the fvolume o f 4the stream or blast of air'required in effecting the separation ofunwanted f-materials from the seeds or grain.

Variation of the stream or blast of air from the main-'blower fan I5, is effected by pendulum control means I6 which operate the valves I8 for regulating ythe stream' or blast'of air from the main blower'fan I5fto the riddles 5, so that when the riddles 5 arehorizontal through their length aA stream or blast 0f air only sufficient for carrying the seeds or grain along on same, is passed to the riddles 5, `but upon the latter being inlclinedthrough-their length so that the seeds or grain require to'travel up hillthereon, the stream :or blast of air is increased, and shouldA the riddles, 5 be inclined through their length so that the seeds or grain require to -travel down hill thereon, the stream Qrblast of air is decreased.

The last describedarrangement provides for .avariation of the stream'or blast of air lengthways of the riddles faccording to, the vworkto be performedygand is' .an additional attachment whichI can --be. used in conjunction with self llevel- Aof header jriddle box with advantage, irrespective of whether the riddle box is self levelling or not.

The pendulum I6 can be hung from any suitable part of the machine, and be connected by means of a single or a plurality of connecting rods Il, with the valve or valves I8 to be operated, and in one suitable form the valves I8 can be of the interengaging saw tooth form with separate connecting rods Il from opposite sides of the fulcrum of the pendulum IS t0 cranks or arms I9 on the spindles 28 of the valves I9, the rods il being adjustable as to length, to suit varying conditions encountered.

What I do claim and desire to obtain by Letters Patent of the United States of America is:

1. In a blower system for a combine mounted on a wheeled frame and having atleast one reciprocable cleaning riddle, air supply conduits disposed along the sides of the cleaning riddle at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the wheeled frame, valves positioned in said air supply conduits for controlling the passage of air therethrough, a pendulum mounted on said wheeled frame for oscillation parallel to the longitudinal axis of the latter, and links connecting said pendulum to said valves for opening and closing the latter to control the flow of air through said conduits in accordance with the tilting of the frame whereby the air blast from the respective conduit opposes the travel by gravity of the grain over the cleaning riddle. g

2. In a blower system for a combine mounted on a Wheeled frame and having at least one reciprocable cleaning riddle, air supply conduits disposed along the sides of the cleaning riddles at 'right angles to the longitudinal axis of the wheeled frame, valves positioned in said air supply conduits for controlling the passage of air therethrough, a blower for supplying air to said air conduits and having an inlet valve, a rst pendulum mounted on said wheeled frame for oscillation parallel to the longitudinal axis of the latter, links connecting said first pendulum to said valves for opening and closing the latter in accordance with the tilting of the frame whereby the air blast from the respective conduit opposes the travel of the grain by gravity over the cleaning riddle, a second pendulum mounted on said wheeled frame for oscillation parallel to the longitudinal axis of the latter, and a link connecting said second pendulum to the inlet valve of the blower for closing the air intake of the blower when the wheeled frame is travelling on level ground.

3. In a blower system for a combine mounted on a wheeled frame and having at least one reciprocable cleaning riddle, air supply conduits disposed along the sides of the riddle at right angles to the axis of the longitudinal axis of the wheeled frame, valves positioned in said air supply conduits for controlling the passage of air Y therethrough, a pendulum mounted on said wheeled frame for oscillation parallel to the longitudinal axis of the latter, and links connecting said pendulum to said valves for directing an air blast along the cleaning riddle to oppose the travel of the grain by gravity along the latter due to the tilting of the wheeled frame and simultaneously closing the other valve.

4. In a blower system for a combine mounted on a Wheeled frame and having at least one reciprocable cleaning riddle, air supply conduits disposed along the sides of the cleaning riddles at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the wheeled frame, valves positioned in said air supply conduits for controlling the passage of air therethrough, a blower for supplying air to said air conduits and having an inlet valve, a first pendulum mounted on said wheeled frame for oscillation parallel to the longitudinal axis of the latter, links connecting said first pendulum to said valves for opening one valve for directing an air blast along the cleaning riddle to oppose the travel of the grain by gravity along the latter y due to tilting of the wheeled frame and simultaneously closing the other valve, a second pendulum mounted on said wheeled frame for oscillation parallel to the longitudinal axis of the latter, and a link connecting said second pendulum to the inlet valve of the blower for controlling the volume of air taken in by the blower in accordance with the 'tilting of the wheeled frame.

HENRY J OI-IN STEVENSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

